Terret.



" Fries.

PATENT PAUL AUGUST \VEGENG, OF PHILO, ILLINOIS,

TERRET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 638,533, dated December 5, 1899. Application filed July 3, 1899. Serial No. 722,682. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, PAUL AUGUST WEGENG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philo, in the county of Champaign and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Terrets, of which the following is a specification.

Thisinvention relates to harness-terrets for driving-reins; and the object of the invention is to provide a terret of such novel and peculia-r construction that the reins may be placed in and removed from the terret by opening the latter.

A further object of the invention is to provide a terret having a rein-space concentric to a pivoted or hinged member of the terret to permit the reins to follow the curvature of the members forming the said space without the reins twisting or kinking crosswise or buckling in the space, the said hinged member being a ring which when closed on the other member prevents the reins from leaving the said space and in which ringthe reins are held or folded when not in use. a

The invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts and resides, essentially, in a terret composed of two members hinged or pivoted together, so as to form a concentric or arc-shaped reinspace between the said members.

In the accompanyingdrawings,forming part of this application, Figure 1 is afront view of my terret, showing position of reins in the rein-space. Fig. 2 is an edge view. Fig. 3 is a modified form of fastening for the terret members.

The same reference-letters denote the same parts in the several views of the drawings.

The ring A, which forms the top member of the terret, has ears G and D, by means of which the ring is connected to the yoke or bottom terret member B. The member B has a screw-stud F for attachment to a back plate or saddle G, and to one end of the member B, which is concentric to and upon the outside of the ring or member A, is hinged or pivoted said ring by a pin 0, which extends through the ear-prongs b b of the ear 0. The other end of the member B receives the ear D of the ring member A and is removably held by a thumb-screw E or other suitable locking means, which when loosened permits the ring or top member A to be swung on the hinge or pivot to open and close the rein-space H between the members A and B. In such latter position a concentric or arc-shaped space H is formed for the reins h and permits them in driving to slide on the member B the Whole length of the space H without twisting or kinking crosswise, the ears C and D preventing the reins from sliding up on the member B far enough to turn over or wrinkle lengthwise, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The ring or top member is swung on its pivot to permit the reins to be inserted and removed instead of drawing them through the rein-space, and when the reins are not in use the ring serves to hold the reins without removing them from said space. In handling the reins from a vehicle the space H is not wide enough to per mit the reins to curl or wind, twist, or turn; but they remain in fiat smooth condition, and when the reins are operated from the side of a vehicle or a horseis driven while the driver is walking the same flat condition of the reins prevails, except that the reins arepulled over near one end or the other of the rein-space, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

Referring to the modification shown in Fig. 3, a spring-catch is provided in lieu of the locking device hereinbefore described, and

consists of a spring-hook M, having a thumb piece m, and which engages the ear D when it is pressed down against the end of the lower terret member, said hook being pushed back by the thumb-piece mwhen the ring is to be lifted.

I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to any particular size or material in the construction of my terret nor to any special means for locking the members.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is-

1. A harness-terret composed of two members pivoted or hinged together to form an arc-shaped rein-space between the members, as set forth.

2. A harness-terret composed of two concentric members pivoted or hinged together to form an arc-shaped rein-space between the members, one of said members adapted to be swung on the other member to open and close said space for the insertion and removal of the reins, as set forth.

3. In aharness-terret,the combination,with the yoke or bottom member having a pivot end and an end to which an ear of the ring or top member is removably secured, of the ring or top member having ears positioned opposite eaoh other and pivoted to the pivot end of the bottom member to form an arc-shaped 10 space between the members which is opened and closed by swinging the said top member. In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand in the presence of two Witnesses.

PAUL AUGUST WEGENG. Witnesses:

M. A. GOFF, E. F. KELLOGG. 

